La Scoopenda tries on Vera Galupe-Borszkh‘s mantle of grandezza for an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer (“I don’t even know where Indiana, Pa., is – but I’m going there soon, for a concert”), describing herself as being from the old school, “especially compared to the young turks running around on the operatic stages in Europe these days, sometimes wearing nothing but their underwear. Opera over there has become quite a youthful pursuit and competitive sport.”

The Monday, 12th December, Weill Hall recital debut of Signora Chiara Taigi, a strikingly good looking Italian soprano, who had made her American operatic debut this past March, starring as Selika in the OONY production of Meyerbeer’s long-neglected L’Africaine, was something Your Own Camille had looked forward to with a high hopes and a faintly wondering glee, for several months now. Read more »

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/HaL0jnNgm4E" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /] That goddess among divas, Madame Vera Galupe-Borszkh, indulges a whim (as divas have been known to do) and returns to grace the stage next week at Symphony Space. Those of you incapable of the hike up to 95th Street may take comfort in the DVD Vera: Life of a Diva, which is currently selling like hotcakes.

The world’s newest cult diva returns! Amira Kamel, first Egyptian ever to sing Aida (it says so on YouTube and so it must be true!) adopts for her “barbaric” drag not only the coiffure, maquillage and plastique of legendary Vera Galupe-Borszkh, but seem to have borrowed one of La Dementia’s caftans as well! [kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/zl51vG-a1F8" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

You can pull the fork out of Madame Vera Galupe-Borszkh, because, believe it or not, she’s still not done. How, you ask, can that be? Well, according to an email received by La Cieca this morning, In the tradition of many great divas who pack it in, only to unpack, Madame Vera emerged from retirement last summer for a recital at Tanglewood at the invitation of Maestro James Levine. Her artistry was greeted with the kind of ecstatic response that only encourages divas of a certain age. Thus emboldened, the legendary “traumatic soprano” indulged a whim (and who better to [...]

La Cieca is always delighted to hear the merest whisper of a rumor that her old, old, old friend Madame Vera Galupe-Borszkh has been encouraged to grace the lyric stage yet once more.Â Therefore it is with the almost unutterable joy that your doynne notes that “La Dementia” will sing again in 2009 as a fitting finale to what may be the last musical season ever in New York City. A reliable source has revealed that the quasi-mythical traumatic soprano will tread the boards of the Thalia the last week of May 2009 in the company of erstwhile colleages Maestro [...]

Un petit oiseau (dans la charmille) has just whispered to La Cieca that mythic diva Madame Vera Galupe-Borszkh will emerge briefly from semi-retirement on Halloween night as a surprise guest during the Sirius broadcast of La traviata from the Met.Â To avoid any confusion, La Cieca should note that “La Dementia” will not be singing the role of Violetta that eveningÂ (Anja Harteros will perform as usual), but the Ukrainian Nightingale will grace the broadcast booth for an interview withÂ Margaret Juntwait.Â The yakking will begin atÂ approximately 10:00 pm EDT during the second intermission of the Verdi tearjerker.

First word on Francesca Zambello‘s “American iconography” production of Der Ring des Nibelungen sounds moderately dire. Our top secret mole The Concerned Wagnerian reports from somewhere in the vicinity of the Washington National Opera: “Alberich is panning for gold in a western getup. The Rhinemaidens reveal their gold as a large quilt. Yes, a quilt. As in ‘this gold is nice; we should quilt with it.’ They frolic with the forbidden quilt until Alberich snatches it away. Wotan is discovered — no, not as Horace Tabor — but rather as Jay Gatsby, reclining on lawn furniture. Donner sports “tennis, anyone” [...]

Next week, you, mon cher public, along with the rest of le tout New York will of course attend Madame Vera Galupe-Borszkh‘s 20th Annual Farewell Recital at Symphony Space. In preparation for this epochal event, La Cieca hopes you will listen to her interview with Mme. Vera’s alter ego, Ira Siff, on Unnatural Acts of Opera.